Circle Forum

“Knowing your WHY makes your HOW more impactful as you work in your purpose”Michael Jr. With the busyness of day to day work in schools, educators seldom take much time to consider and reflect on their WHY. Knowing your WHY fits well into a restorative mindset. 2:58 My WHY makes my job my calling 4:39 People looking for purpose and meaning 5:27 An example of WHY “I know people can change” 6:37 Exa...

Connections between students and the adults at school has a big impact on school safety particularly on the trust levels needed to report a concern. Safety also depends on the adult to adult trust in the building. 2:35Create a community culture of caring 3:08Kids can build empathy through restorative practices skills 3:49Build rapport with students 4:43Be present with students to build trust 5:49C...

A settler bias and a colonial attitude are so much a part of white educators’ lives that even the questions asked can illustrate the ongoing nature of colonialism. It’s important for us as white educators to think through or be reminded of how our language can impact others. 2:22 the question itself shows white educator bias 3:33 It’s about learning not about education 4:44 System pressure to get...

Leaders can learn from staff or students who miss the mark and fail at a new endeavour. Seeing the patterns of behaviour creates the opportunity to ask great questions and listen for staff and student strengths. Awareness of something not working right is a restorative moment and can improve a student's experience of school. 2:17 Kids just weren’t showing up after lunch. 2:57 discipline referrals...

Leaders are regularly involved in resolving conflicts and neglect the connected social justice aspects. Each situation presents leaders with the opportunity to listen for understanding and the opportunity to deal with a structure or policy that is unfair or unjust. It’s not easy yet it starts with listening. 2:02 What is social justice anyway? 4:49 Hold a mirror up to yourself. 5:13 On speed dial...

“My principal doesn’t support me in my restorative practices.” How do you get others in your class or school or district interested in restorative practices? Shelley, Steve and Stan share some very practical advice from their experiences of leading restorative practices in whole school district. 2:14 Whole school involvement 3:29 Model the learning for others 5:27 “No office referrals from Mrs. X?...

Changing expectations in schools has impacted staff and teacher well-being long before Covid-19. Covid sure amplified the need to attend to our staff more closely. Distinguishing between burn-out and demoralization can help leaders help others. 2:23. changing demands of teaching and expectations 3:31. Burn out vs demoralization 5:23. no more surveys, talk face to face 10:18 School story of 7 suppo...

Where does a leader find the time to be restorative? “I just don’t have time for this in my busy busy day” is something we hear a lot. The podcast this week is focused on some practical things you can do or which you may already be doing: 1:40. “Change your mindset” 3:06. “But don’t circles take away from curriculum time?” 4:42. “Leadership focuses on relationships with the people” 6:24. “Building...

Staff behaviours and misbehaviours are up in schools. Stress from the pandemic amplify concerns between the adults in a school be that staff to staff or parent to staff. Restorative leadership offers some practical ways to deal with staff conduct. 2:25 “teacher away every Friday impacts other staff’s prep time. 4:21 “coachable restorative moment” 5:49 “difficult conversations and restorative pract...

There are a lot of upset parents coming into our schools lately. Using a restorative approach, any leader in a school can work WITH parents. “People are happier when those in authority positions do things with them not to them or for them.”(IIRP) Restorative leadership engages the ADULTS in the building using some of the same approaches used for students, 3:54 “Angry parent story from Steve” 6:42...

If staffing is a revolving door at your workplace, consider this week’s podcast on how to keep staff engaged with restorative leadership. We reflect on the research recommendation from the Rand Corporation: ”Leaders who have not made adult relationships a priority could consider transferring the strategies they use to build positive student-staff relationships to focus on adults.“ 1:30 “staffing p...

The biggest source of burnout in the workplace is, according to Gallup, “unfair treatment at work.” Schools are no exception and staff are leaving in droves. In our new season, we will be focusing on restorative leadership and engagement…of adults. This week’s podcast features a story from Shelley where the leadership was NOT restorative and how it could have been by using a fair process. 1:47 "bu...

Here’s another episode of Summer Shorts on CircleForum where we’re telling stories about situations where things did not go well or things weren’t working right. In a conversation earlier this year with Perry Smith from Abbotsford Schools in BC, we talk about what it takes to make a change in schools. :37 “need the resources for schools according to the needs at the school” 2:17 “system leaders do...

This episode of Summer Shorts on CircleForum is a story we recorded earlier this year about a student who refused to participate in the daily classroom circle for 6 whole months. Participation in the circle just wasn’t happening until the teacher, Dane Ellis, found out the reason why. :29. “Getting a student to physically join the circle’ 2:32 “Is there something wrong with the circle?” 3:55 “trea...

Summer Shorts on CircleForum are stories where things did not go well and how that changed our practice.  In this podcast, we go back to a story we heard earlier this year from Brooke Monks, an experienced teacher who was very apprehensive about doing her first circle until...Steve coached her through it. :50  "Loved the circle but lots of panic" 1:16. "even did student presentations in...

Summer Shorts on Circle Forum is a collection of stories about where things did not go well and how it changed our practice.  This week is a short highlight of a story told by Brooke Monks.  She's an experienced teacher it was not going well with her class.  She was fearful about starting circles in April and grateful for Steve's coaching support. Need a consult with one of our expe...

Toilet talk in a circle? Welcome to another podcast of  Summer Shorts on Circle Forum, stories where things went wrong and what we learned from it. Stan tells a story about getting ready for a field trip with a grade 5/6 class and the conversation stinks. He had to make a change quickly in order to keep the conversation going. Need a consult with one of our experts in restorative practices, s...

Restorative practices is not therapy yet here’s a story about how the two can work together. ummer Short on Circle Forum are stories where our practice changed because something restorative did not work out well.  This eeek Stan tells a story about how he had to call in an expert facilitator and a grief counsellor to deal with the impact of a student’s tragic death. Need a consult with one of...

Teens as teachers? You betcha. Adults can learn a lot from teen. It does take asking the right questions and takes really listening. Shelley tells a story of how initiating restorative practices in a Grade 7 & 8 classroom backfired until she backed up and asked what’s happening now. Summer Short on Circle Forum are stories where our practice changed because something restorative did not work o...

Summer Short on Circle Forum are stories where our practice changed because something restorative did not work out well. That’s how Steve changed his practice after running a staff circle with the best of intentions. It was WAY too big a group for an important conversation on racism. To learn more about restorative practices, send me a note to stan@restorative.ca Check out our free resources...

Summer Short on Circle Forum are stories where our practice changed because something restorative did not work out well. We are often asked if we’ve run circles that have crashed and burned. The answer is a big YES. Stan tells a story about a Grade 8 class that was already struggling with relationships and how he went in to save the day. It flopped. To learn more about restorative practices, send...

Summer Shorts on Circle Forum is a series of short stories with a difference.  These are mistakes we made in our restorative practices AND how that changed our practice. Steve describes a circle he did in a classroom, what he learned and 3 things he's changed in his practice with students and colleagues, namely, don't rush the circle conversation, learn to take turns and learn how to listen t...

Summer Shorts on Circle Forum is a series of short stories with a difference.  These are mistakes we made in our restorative practices AND how that changed our practice.  Shelley describes how a harmful comment from one staff member impacted a second staffer.  Using restorative practices with adults changed Shelley's practice . Visit CircleForum for more information about our podcas...

Summer Shorts, our new season of podcasts, are just that, short and for the summer.  Each podcast has a story with a difference!  The story is about mistakes we made with restorative practices and how it changed our practice.  This week Stan talks about a family feud that spilled over into school conflict.

At the end of our Season 3 Podcast on Student Engagement, we go back to our very first podcast in May 2021 and our discussion of our WHY with restorative practices. Our WHY informs HOW we do things and WHAT we do. You'll hear phrases like : seen it work, part of bigger society restorative work wisdom in quiet voices healing part of community, having a voice making things right  Order Steve’s...